By Laura Fetridge
The 2016 Safe Graduation Party, a fun-filled, substance-free annual event, was held at the Farmington Valley YMCA in Granby on the evening of June 13, after graduation ceremonies. This year’s class was one of the largest in Granby history and a record 81 percent of graduates (154 students) attended the party. Lots of fun was had by all!
The night began at 9:30 p.m. when graduates boarded buses at Granby Memorial High School (GMHS) to be shuttled to the YMCA where a variety of activities awaited them. Some attendees stopped at the photo booth to take wacky pictures with friends while others decided to relax with a chair massage or watch a slide show of memories from the Class of 2016’s four years at GMHS. A handful of teams competed in the volleyball tournament with prizes for the champions and best team costume. Swimming and rock climbing were popular, as were Family Feud, bingo, the smoothie bar and dancing to tunes played by the DJ. Many tried their hand at answering Granby trivia questions to earn chips for the Plinko board to win prizes. The mechanical shark ride and caricature artist provided lots of laughs for everyone. The airbrush tattoo and balloon hat stations were buzzing with activity and students gathered around the magician were mesmerized by his tricks throughout the night. Senior Hanna Cormier described him as “insane” and remarked, “He made me wonder if I was in a dream.” A plentiful spread of food and beverages donated by local restaurants and businesses was available the entire night. Each senior received a complimentary 2016 Grad Night t-shirt—signed by every classmateÂfeaturing art work from the winning event invitation designed by GMHS senior, Hanna Crose.
The 2016 Safe Graduation Party, a fun-filled, substance-free annual event, was held at the Farmington Valley YMCA in Granby on the evening of June 13, after graduation ceremonies. This year’s class was one of the largest in Granby history and a record 81 percent of graduates (154 students) attended the party. Lots of fun was had by all!
The night began at 9:30 p.m. when graduates boarded buses at Granby Memorial High School (GMHS) to be shuttled to the YMCA where a variety of activities awaited them. Some attendees stopped at the photo booth to take wacky pictures with friends while others decided to relax with a chair massage or watch a slide show of memories from the Class of 2016’s four years at GMHS. A handful of teams competed in the volleyball tournament with prizes for the champions and best team costume. Swimming and rock climbing were popular, as were Family Feud, bingo, the smoothie bar and dancing to tunes played by the DJ. Many tried their hand at answering Granby trivia questions to earn chips for the Plinko board to win prizes. The mechanical shark ride and caricature artist provided lots of laughs for everyone. The airbrush tattoo and balloon hat stations were buzzing with activity and students gathered around the magician were mesmerized by his tricks throughout the night. Senior Hanna Cormier described him as “insane” and remarked, “He made me wonder if I was in a dream.” A plentiful spread of food and beverages donated by local restaurants and businesses was available the entire night. Each senior received a complimentary 2016 Grad Night t-shirt—signed by every classmateÂfeaturing art work from the winning event invitation designed by GMHS senior, Hanna Crose.
Before boarding the buses to return to GMHS, the final activity of the evening was the raffle. Each graduate patiently waited for his or her name to be called to pick out a raffle prize from an impressive assortment donated by local businesses, families and Granby Parents for a Safe Graduation. All of the graduates’ names were then put back into the hat for a chance to win one of the three grand prizes—a Keurig Mini, a 28” flat screen smart television or a Microsoft Surface Pro. Of course, the winners of the grand prizes were delighted to hear their names called! The grateful but sleepy seniors re-boarded the buses and left the YMCA at 2:45 a.m. to be shuttled back to GMHS.
When asked what his favorite things about the party were, Andrew Migliaccio said, “I really enjoyed all of the activities that were available. If you got tired of one thing there was plenty more to do. I especially liked the mechanical shark and the Granby trivia.” On a more sentimental note, Sam Kuhnly commented, “Grad night was a lot of fun, a good time for our whole class to all get together one last time and make one last memory for the class of 2016.”
This year’s Safe Grad Night event, organized by Granby Parents for a Safe Graduation, was made possible by a grant from The Granby Community Fund, the Town of Granby Youth Service Bureau, The Farmington Valley YMCA and generous donations from numerous local businesses, and from parents of seniors and other classes. The event is free to all graduates and is chaperoned by parent volunteers who want to give the senior class the opportunity to spend one last night together having fun in a safe and substance-free environment.
The committee thanks the Granby Community Fund, the Town of Granby Youth Service Bureau, The Farmington Valley YMCA and all of the area businesses, parents and volunteers and recognize them for their generosity. This event would not be possible without them! Please see the graduation spread in this issue for a complete list of donors.
When asked what his favorite things about the party were, Andrew Migliaccio said, “I really enjoyed all of the activities that were available. If you got tired of one thing there was plenty more to do. I especially liked the mechanical shark and the Granby trivia.” On a more sentimental note, Sam Kuhnly commented, “Grad night was a lot of fun, a good time for our whole class to all get together one last time and make one last memory for the class of 2016.”
This year’s Safe Grad Night event, organized by Granby Parents for a Safe Graduation, was made possible by a grant from The Granby Community Fund, the Town of Granby Youth Service Bureau, The Farmington Valley YMCA and generous donations from numerous local businesses, and from parents of seniors and other classes. The event is free to all graduates and is chaperoned by parent volunteers who want to give the senior class the opportunity to spend one last night together having fun in a safe and substance-free environment.
The committee thanks the Granby Community Fund, the Town of Granby Youth Service Bureau, The Farmington Valley YMCA and all of the area businesses, parents and volunteers and recognize them for their generosity. This event would not be possible without them! Please see the graduation spread in this issue for a complete list of donors.